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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why did the city fence off the empty lots near the fire station?

2. What did the woman do to the man whose Intervale Avenue apartment burned in Chapter 7?

3. How did Smith view the fire department's amusement park trip for neighborhood children?

4. Why did Smith not want to leave the South Bronx?

5. How many men competed for firemen positions that day?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Smith find most frustrating about the attack on the firefighters (the dropped garbage can) in Chapter 8?

2. What was Smith's attitude toward the man hanging around at the Union Avenue fire in Chapter 10? How did he feel about the man screaming that the firemen were not taking fire victims to the hospital because they didn't care about black people?

3. Why were some of the firefighters unwilling to help out at the department's occasional parties for neighborhood kids?

4. How did the firefighters react to the call in Chapter 7 in which they tended to a man who almost overdosed on drugs?

5. How did contemplating the changing seasons make it easier for Smith to deal with the dangers of his job?

6. Does Smith feel that society has become more violent over the years, and if so, why?

7. How did Dennis Smith feel as a child when the welfare inspector visited his family?

8. Did Smith feel that the rich New Yorkers mentioned in Chapter 7, who were raising money to bail out Black Panthers, had any real understanding of need?

9. Why were the men uneasy as they begin the training drill in Chapter 6?

10. Is the poverty seen by Dennis Smith in the South Bronx different than the poverty in which he grew up?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Firefighters work long shifts that require them to both sleep and eat meals at the station. How does Smith demonstrate that this enforced closeness with fellow firefighters encourages a sense of brotherhood? Did the cooking and sharing of meals among the men of Engine Co. 82 foster a unique relationship that was missing in other professions? Is there a unique value in seeing your fellow firefighters at their best and their worst (i.e., grumpy before morning coffee, poor hygiene, an issue Smith addresses in the book) throughout the day? Does this help explain the fierce loyalty described by Smith?

Essay Topic 2

Smith continued to work in the South Bronx despite the dangers and despite the fact that moving to another neighborhood would still allow him to serve as a firefighter, but in a safer environment. What compels some people to risk their lives for little or nothing in return? Are some people born with a unique sense of compassion and generosity or can this be cultivated in anyone? What kind of intangible rewards did Smith get from serving the South Bronx that he may not have gotten from serving, say, the Upper East Side?

Essay Topic 3

Smith discussed the need for the firefighters to pay for much of the equipment and supplies they needed for their jobs. Why do you think New York was reluctant to provide sufficient provisions for fire departments? How did the firefighters view this lack of support and what would they have liked to do about it?

(see the answer keys)

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